TikTok owner ByteDance can’t avoid the bloc’s crackdown on digital giants, a European Union court said Wednesday in a decision that found the video sharing platform falls under a new law that also covers Apple, Google and Microsoft.
The EU’s General Court rejected ByteDance’s legal challenge against being classed as an online “gatekeeper” that has to comply with extra obligations under the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
The rulebook, also known as the DMA, took effect this year and seeks to counter the dominance of Big Tech companies and make online competition fairer by giving consumers more choice.
TikTok had argued that it wasn’t a gatekeeper but was playing the role of a new competitor in social media taking on entrenched players like Facebook and Instagram owner Meta.
The judges, however, decided that since 2018 TikTok had “succeeded in increasing its number of users very rapidly and exponentially” and that it had “rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years.”
“We are disappointed with this decision,” the company said in a prepared statement. “TikTok is a challenger platform that provides important competition to incumbent players.” TikTok said it will evaluate its next steps and noted that it has already taken measures to comply with the DMA.
The Digital Markets Act took effect in March, with a list of dos and don’ts for big tech “gatekeeper” companies aimed at giving users more choices and threatening big penalties if they don’t comply.
The ruling can be appealed to the EU’s Court of Justice, the bloc’s highest court, but only on points of law.
CNN Films acquires Matt Tyrnauer’s “Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid”
CNN Films has acquired Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid, ahead of its world premiere at the 51st annual Telluride Film Festival. From director Matt Tyrnauer, the film chronicles 18 tumultuous months inside the 2024 election from the distinctive vantage point of one of the most influential, charismatic, and combative voices in the Democratic Party: James Carville. Produced by Altimeter Films, the film is set to release in theaters in the fall and will premiere Saturday, October 5, at 7pm ET on CNN.
โJames Carville redefined the art of political consulting and has retained household name status since teaching the Democrats how to win again in the 1990โs,โ said Tyrnauer. โWhile shooting this cinema veritรฉ film, he also emerged as a powerful change agent in the 2024 election, wielding his unique influence to upend the partyโs nomination process. We are thrilled that CNN Films is as excited as we are to share the story of this American original with audiences--we canโt think of a better partner.โ
โMatt artfully crafts the rich story behind James Carvilleโs humble beginnings in Louisiana to finding success after forty, revealing how he became one of the most significant forces in modern politics,โ said Amy Entelis, executive VP of talent, CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide. โBut the surprising heart of the film is Jamesโ marriage to Republican strategist Mary Matalin. CNN Films is proud to bring audiences this unlikely love story which offers a glimmer of hope in our highly polarized times.โ
Political luminaries including Bill Clinton, Al Hunt, Donna Brazile, George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, Mandy Grunwald, Reverend Al Sharpton, Mitch Landrieu, and Sidney Blumenthal trace the story... Read More